Picture of the Week #57 "It's a Wrap Ho Ho Ho

Picture of the Week #57 "It's a Wrap, Ho Ho Ho." Los Angeles, California 2006 Signed and Stamped

Even though I had a magnificent Holiday I am almost glad it's over. I am anxious to get back to work. Especially since I received a new Camera for Xmas that I am itching to use. I found this image I had taken a few years ago and thought it was appropriate for the season.

Picture of the Week #56 "Epiphany of Beauty"

Picture of the Week #56 "Epiphany of Beauty" Vatican City, Italy 2009 Signed and Stamped

Before my Audience with Pope Benedict XVI to hear his "Address to Artists" in the Sistine Chapel, I waited just outside in this most majestic room of sheer beauty and overwhelming power and grace as two lone Swiss Guards watched the invited artists file in. I found it peculiar that there was only one video camera on a tripod in the corner with two cameramen, but they did not film us, the invited artists. Nor anyone else for that matter. Perhaps I am so used to Hollywood and cameras being shoved in your face at the opening of a shopping bag. But here, at this historic event, no cameras were rolling as we entered. Just the opposite. So, I took it upon myself to record everything that was going on as best as I could. After all this was the first time since the Renaissance that a Pope hosted artists in the Sistine Chapel. As I humbly told my Publicist, Jack Scanlan, years ago the Pope invited Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael, and now he was inviting me. He said, I can work with that.

Picture of the Week #55 "Pieta"

Picture of the Week #55 "Pieta" Vatican City, Italy 2009 Signed and Stamped

It is impossible to go to Rome and the Vatican and not see the ever powerful St. Peters Basilica for the umteenth time. After my Audience with Pope Benedict in the Sistine Chapel on Saturday, (See Picture of the Week #51, #52 & #53) I returned to drop off a present for His Holiness the following Monday. Only, the office was closed. How could I not see another of Michaelangelo's remarkable work, the "Pieta" when I was so close. This time I thought I had to enter St. Peter's like all the other tourists on a very long line. Luckily I had my Vatican Pass from my invited tour with me. I placed it around my neck and was quickly ushered in where I immediately began taking pictures. Even with the light very low, I was able to see the emotionally breathtaking "Pieta". The next day I left Pope Benedict my present of two photographs. It was gratefully accepted by the Pontifical Council for Culture for the Vatican. Now I can say I am in the permanent Collection of the Vatican.

Picture of the Week #54 "Sitting by the Great Pyramid"

Picture of the Week #54 "Sitting by the Great Pyramid" Giza, Egypt 1989 Signed and Stamped

Traveling around the world after my art show in Tokyo Japan, one of the "had to" stops was of course the great Pyramids in Giza. I remember when I was being driven to my Hotel, the Mina House Oberoi, I saw the Pyramids out the car window. I was flabbergasted. Then, when the bell hop opened my shutters there were the Pyramids right across the street. I had always thought that they were out in the middle of the desert. I immediately grabbed my cameras and headed out. Instantly, I was accosted by beggars and street urchins asking for me to give them money or to hire them as my guide. I chose one young, maybe 14 year old, with his own camel and off we went. One of the views I vividly remember was how majestic and humbling these man made wonders are. That's when I saw this couple sitting like specs against the monumental side of the Great Pyramid. You can't help but wonder how they built it.

Picture of the Week #51 #52 #53 "Under Michaelangelo with Pope Benedeict XVI"

Picture of the Week #51 #52 #53 "Under Michaelangelo with Pope Benedict XVI" Vatican City, Italy 2009 Signed and Stamped

To sit directly under Michaelangelo's painting in the Sistine Chapel of "The Creation", while Pope Benedict was in front of "The Last Judgement" and spoke to a room full of invited world renown artists was, well, the greatest experience of my life. I am not a religious person. I am a working artist. To be in one of the greatest works of art with one of my heroes' greatest accomplishments sent chills through my body and practically brought tears to my eyes. I felt like all I had worked for in life was now being appreciated. The Pope spoke of the blessing that artists have as they can create beauty. He held out an olive branch to us in asking that we follow making that beauty a reality. He said:

"With great joy I welcome you to this solemn place, so rich in art and in history. I cordially greet each and every one of you and I thank you for accepting my invitation. At this gathering I wish to express and renew the Church's friendship with the world of art, a friendship that has been strengthened over time; indeed Christianity from it's earliest days has recognized the value of the arts and has made wise use of their varied language to express her unvarying message of salvation. This friendship must be continually promoted and supported so that it may be authentic and fruitful, adapted to different historical periods and attentive to social and cultural variations. Indeed, this is the reason for our meeting here today."

And then as if he was speaking directly to me he said:

"Todays event is focused on you, dear and illustrious artists, from different countries, cultures and religions, some of you perhaps remote from the practice of religion, but interested nevertheless in maintaining communication with the Catholic Church, in not reducing the horizons of existence to mere material realities, to a reductive and trivializing vision. You represent the varied world of the arts and so, through you, I would like to convey to all artists my invitation to friendship, dialog and cooperation.

It was truly a moment I will not forget. What it inspires in me to create is still too early to tell. But there was something there. Stay tuned.

Picture of the Week #50 "Ouch !"

Picture of the Week #50 "Ouch !' Dordogne, France 1994 Signed and Stamped

Touring one of the countless Chateaux of France we happened on this tour where the young woman was informing everyone of the history of the castle. I couldn't help but notice the painting behind her. Her expression said it all, Ouch !

Morgan Freeman

Had dinner tonight with Morgan Freeman at our friend Barbara George Vandeman's surprise 65th Birthday at the Jonathan Club. Fun night.

Picture of the Week #49 "Mick Fleetwood"

Picture of the Week #49 "Mick Fleetwood as Ivan the Terrible" Los Angeles, California 1983 Signed and Stamped

After abandoning producing and directing Music Videos in 1972 to focus on features, I couldn't resist when asked in 1983 to produce & direct Mick Fleetwood. I consider him the best drummer in rock and roll. And, though he doesn't sing or compose I found it challenging to come up with a subject matter for the video. When Mick came over to my house and I saw how tall he was I immediately thought of Nikolai Cherkasov who starred as Ivan the Terrible in Sergei Eisenstein's film masterpiece. I told Mick that a remake would make a wonderful video. He wasn't aware of Ivan the Terrible or Eisenstein's film. I had a book in my library and showed him pictures. He immediately agreed. We proposed it to his record company and they said okay. Only problem was the song they chose was not really in keeping with what I had for my visual storytelling. But we pressed on anyway. The video was brilliantly shot by Paul Ryan in black and white and resembled the Eisenstein masterpiece, only on a smaller scale. I thought that if need be we would film a kid sitting in front of his TV in color and flicking through the channels. He would come upon this black and white footage and watch the video. At the end of the song we would cut back out to color and he would turn off the TV. We never had to shoot those bookend images as the film worked by itself. Unfortunately, the song was not a hit, which is part of the problem I always faced when directing a video. I am at the mercy of the song.

Picture of the Week #48 "The Psychic of Beverly Hills"

Picture of the Week #48 "The Psychic of Beverly Hills" Beverly Hills, California 2009 Signed and Stamped.

While walking through the Beverly Hills Affaire in the Garden bi-annual event I was blocked by a very drunk Irishman adorned in signs declaring that he will meet Madonna today or tonight. His equally drunk friend try to pump me for money claiming the sign carrier was a performance artist. A third beer smelling cohort then dragged the more aggressive character away allowing me to grab this shot. And now I share it with you.

You're invited "Fatigue of Compassion" at Melissa Morgan Gallery

You're Invited to my photographic show "Fatigue of Compassion" at the Melissa Morgan Gallery on Friday October 30th located at 73-040 El Paseo, Palm Desert California from 6 to 10 PM. Check out the front of the gallery where I have installed 2 monumental 8 foot high by 32 foot wide images printed on vinyl that were posted here on October 1st.

Picture of the Week #47 "Dalai Lama Special"

Picture of the Week #47 "Dalai Lama Special" Sun Valley, Utah 2005 Signed and Stamped

When staying with friends in Sun Valley over the long Labor Day weekend in 2005 we had heard that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was coming to speak at a conference. What was so funny to me were these ads placed in the local papers advertising "The Dalai Lama Special" for rates on renting rooms or houses during his stay. And what made it even more peculiar was that the Dalai Lama was staying at my old theatrical agent's home. I knew this agent very well as I attended his bachelor party and his wedding and we hung out together a lot before I moved on to another agency. He never expressed any religious or spiritual leanings. But hey, he was an agent and they know how to go with the flow. I often thought that these ads might be a good segment on the Jay Leno show when he holds up newspaper clippings and wedding announcements.

You're Invited

You're invited to the Closing night event of my photographic show "TRIPPING" on Wednesday October 28th from 6:00 to 10:00 PM at the DAP Studio Gallery at 5660 Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles. Also exhibited are photos of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Jazz legend Charlie Mingus along with the travel images from around the world. Should be a cool event.

Meeting Pope Benedict XVI at the Sistine Chapel

In my January 26th, 2009 "Picture of the Week" blog I posted this image of Cardinal Spellman and the entire Archdiocese of the City of New York in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral. I took this photo way back in March of 1965 . Who knew 11 months after that post that I would be meeting Pope Bendicte XVI at the Sistine Chapel on November 21st 2009. I have been selected to meet His Holiness along with some other artists from throughout the world through the Pontifical Council for Culture in the Vatican. This is really cool.

Picture of the Week #46 "Bartenders of Century City"

Picture of the Week #46 "Bartenders of Century City" Los Angeles, California 2009 Signed and Stamped

When I was leaving the Annenberg Space for Photography after viewing the "Pictures of the Year" exhibit, I looked up towards the Creative Artists Agency building across the courtyard. There I saw these seven people all in red shirts with their backs to me. I quickly realized that they were bartenders awaiting the start of a function. I grabbed my point and shoot digital and fired away. The graphic reflection of the building is what caught my eye at first. Then when I zoomed in I saw the Bartenders. I posted this and another shot before, but it hadn't made the "Picture of the Week" till now.

Picture of the Week #45 "Lucy In The Sky With Pearls"

Picture of the Week #45 "Lucy In The Sky With Pearls" Beverly Hills, California 2009 Signed and Stamped

While attending David Streets Gallery exhibit of vintage Hollywood photographs at the Paley Center for Media last Saturday, I encountered "Lucy" Impersonator Suzanne LaRusch, who was kind enough to pose for me. It was here that I decided on the title of my next photo book - Classic and Silly". This way I can showcase my images that illustrate both. I am sure this one will make the cut.

Melissa Morgan Photography Exhibit

A show of my photographs opens today at the Melissa Morgan Gallery in Palm Desert California. These two large images each 8 feet high by 32 feet wide, will grace the front of the Gallery for the season, while smaller works will be on view inside. The titles are "Fatigue of Compassion" and "Selling Buddha".

Little Pictures - BIG PEOPLE

I signed the contract with Verlhac Editions of Paris to publish my photo book titled "Little Pictures - BIG PEOPLE" I'll let you now when it will be available (worldwide). These are all "snaps" that I took of Musicians, Actors, and Artists when I directed them in Movies or Videos or just knew, Like Andy Warhol and Matt Dillon.

Picture of the Week #44 "Card Players of Shanghai"

Picture of the Week #44 "Card Players of Shanghai" Shanghai, China 1980 Signed and Stamped. While scouting locations and working on the budget for what would have been the first American - Chinese co-production that I was to direct, I encountered all these men dressed in Mao outfits playing cards on the streets of Shanghai. Chairman Mao had only been gone for four years and the remnants of his regime still lingered. Sadly the movie "The Footprints of the Pheasant in the Snow" which I was hoping to star Ingrid Bergman never was filmed as she had become ill and backed out. The money quickly followed. I remained as a guest of the Shanghai Arts Council where I continued to photograph and draw. When I returned to America I painted many paintings using those photos and drawings as my inspiration.

Picture of the Week #43 "Anonymous"

Picture of the Week #43 "Anonymous" Muscle Beach, Venice, California USA 2009 Signed and Stamped

After checking out Peter Gould's L.A. Louvre gallery's annual "Rogue Wave 09" exhibit and feeling less than impressed, I decided to walk down the ocean path on a bright Saturday afternoon and face the strange characters who inhabit the walkways. As I past Muscle Beach with glistening ripped bodies I noticed this guy sprawled out like a religious icon. His arms had just fully stopped moving and that is when I grabbed my hip pocket camera and recorded it for posterity. My wife thinks he resembles a terrorist. If I had more change I might have stayed longer, but felt rushed as the meter was running out. I grabbed a few more pix documenting my lovely stroll amidst colorful crazies and headed home.

Picture of the Week #42 "Swan Lake at the Bolshoi"

Picture of the Week #42 "Swan Lake at the Bolshoi" Moscow, Russia 1988 Signed and Stamped
While participating in the first Soviet - American Film Interchange where two of my movies were being screened, I was able to attend the famed Bolshoi Ballet. I remember sitting near Raisa Gorbachev and in front of Jacques D'Amboise the head of the American Ballet theater. When one of the dancers leaped across the stage they landed with a thud, rather than a graceful pitter pat on the wooden floor. Jacques later told us that all of the great Russian dancers had immigrated to Europe and America. Nonetheless I enjoyed every minute in the baroque theater with my celebrity contingent of film participants.

"Selling Buddha"

I completed printing my second 8 foot by 32 foot photograph titled "Selling Buddha" for my installation at the Melissa Morgan Gallery in Palm Desert California. The Gallery reopens in October and this image as well as the earlier post of "Fatigue of Compassion" of homeless unfortunates will be adorning the outside walls on El Paseo, the Rodeo Drive of the desert.

3D Clown

Walking down the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, I couldn't resist this image of a clown being watched by a kid in 3D glasses.

Picture of the Week #41 "Coney Island Respite"

Picture of the Week #41 " Coney Island Respite" Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York USA 2006 Signed and Stamped

In 2006 I was honored by the Coney Island Film Festival and to screen my motion picture "Boardwalk" starring Ruth Gordon, Lee Strasberg and Janet Leigh. As my film had barely been seen since the 1979 Cannes Film Festival I jumped at the chance. A month earlier I had acquired all rights, title and interest back from the current library holder to my semi-autobiographical film, of which I am extremely proud. The film was screened digitally and received a five minute standing ovation. There was a Q & A afterwards that lasted about 45 minutes. My hope was that a distributor would hear of this successful screening and want to scoop up the rights for DVD and cable sales. Needless to say that didn't happen. I was turned down because the actors were dead. As far as distributors go they only want name actors to promote their films. If there is no name actor available, then it is off to that library in the sky of never being seen films. Even worthy films like this. While the film was being screened I went for a walk along the Boardwalk and did what I love to to, take pictures. Coney Island is a potpourri of images and characters. It is so colorful and graphic it's hard to take a bad picture.

Sidney B. Felsen's Birthday

The ever dapper Art publishing legend Sidney B. Felsen's glorious 85th Birthday celebration with his wife and partner Joni Moissant Weyl. A couple of hundred friends and greats like Frank Gehry, Michael Ovitz, John Baldessari, Chuck Arnoldi, came to wish him well. I am so glad to have Sidney and Joni in my life for 35 years.

"Fatigue of Compassion"

I just finished printing the 8 foot by 32 foot image titled "Fatigue of Compassion" for the Melissa Morgan Gallery installation in Palm Desert California, which reopens in October. The 34 figures pictured here are life size. These unfortunates were originally photographed for a Music Video that I was producing and directing for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show of their song "Carry Me" that dealt with alcoholism. It is a very powerful image and especially when presented life size.

Natalie Cole

I ran into Natalie Cole today who I hadn't seen since I directed her in a Music Video titled "Too Much Mister". She told me how she had gone through a kidney transplant and is taking the summer off and said she is going back to work in the fall. She looked terrific. I am looking forward to hearing her once again.

Picture of the Week #40 "Visiting ACE"

Picture of the Week #40 "Visiting ACE" Beverly Hills, CA USA 2009 Signed and Stamped.

Every week I walk through Beverly Hills going to the galleries where my work is hanging. And some times I visit other galleries such as ACE and Gagosian to see what they are exhibiting. When seeing the work at ACE I saw this lone woman walking in the vast front gallery. I caught her framed in the doorway. When my wife Ann saw this image she immediately said this is the next picture of the week. As a dutiful husband, I now provide it for you to see.

Truly Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Walking in Beverly Hills by the corner of Santa Monica and Canon.

Picture of the Week #39 "Et Tu, Brute"

Picture of the Week #39 "Et Tu, Brute" Paris, France 1994 Signed and Stamped

My favorite thing to do is to walk the streets of Paris and take pictures. If I am not photographing people then I am recording still life images in store windows. The Left Bank at night is a treasure trove of antiques, art and small hotels. This was taken on one of my walks along the Quay near rue de Seine.

Picture of the Week #38 "Andy Warhol - The Signing"

Picture of the Week #38 "Andy Warhol - The Signing" Venice, California USA 1977 Signed and Stamped.

This iconic image of the grand master of POP art signed anything put before him. He stands ready for more and of course signs his classic Campbell's Soup Can. Number one of the edition was acquired by the Getty Museum a couple of years back. I originally had done this as a drawing then a painting and then a silk screen print and then finally back to a photograph. The background color changed from blue to red when it returned to it's original state as a photograph. Another print from the edition is at the Celebrity Vault Gallery in Beverly Hills and a smaller version edition is hanging in my new show at the DAP Studios Gallery in Culver City, California.

Photo of Matt Dillon for BAFTA

BAFTA (British Film Academy) is auctioning off my photo of Matt Dillon for a worthy cause. I took this when we were in Moscow together back in 1988 celebrating the first Soviet American Film Interchange.

Alex Yarosh with my Portrait of Andy Warhol at Gersh

Alex Yarosh head of talent at Gersh Agency in Beverly Hills works away under my triple portrait of Andy Warhol called "The Signing". This image is from the same edition as the one the Getty Museum acquired for their permanent collection last year.

Visiting the Annenberg Space for Photography

I spent the afternoon yesterday enjoying the exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. This is what I saw when I came out and looked up at the CAA offices. It seems they were going to have a function and that the bartenders were lined up ready to serve. None the wiser that I was below them documenting the event. The exhibit inside the Annenberg celebrated the Pictures of the Year International Award Winners. Well worth seeing, although some images are pretty graphic and disturbing.

You're Invited

You're invited to my one man Photo Exhibit "Tripping with Stephen Verona" at DAP Studios Gallery 5660 Venice Boulevard, Culver City on Saturday August 22nd from 7:00 to 11:00 PM

Picture of the Week #37 "Chasing Rainbows"

Picture of the Week #37 "Chasing Rainbows" Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 1975 Signed and Stamped.

Believe it or not this picture came right out of the camera. There was no digital manipulation as the light was just perfect. It was originally shot in 1975 on 35mm transparency film and printed digitally in August of 2009.

Picture of the Week #36 "Window Washer of Vancouver"

Picture of the Week #36 "Window Washer of Vancouver #2" Vancouver, Canada 2005 Signed and Stamped.

This graphic image was one of a series of 12 that I took when visiting friends in Vancouver. I was tempted to show you more pictures from the series at once, but then decided against it, and to just tease you with one at a time. What I found unique was that the building changed colors as I walked beneath capturing the Window Washer from different angles. It was as if I had photographed different buildings. I continued on photographing other buildings but with out any Window Washers, and produced my one and only architectural series.

Picture of the Week #35 "Shy in Bhutan"

Picture of the Week #35 "Shy in Bhutan" Thimpu Bhutan 2000 Signed and Stamped

When our friends Alberto Lensi and Heidi Eckes took us to Bhutan, we had one of the most fabulous trips of our lives. Most of the people in Bhutan would pose for their picture to be taken, while this group were more camera shy. Perhaps there was more going on in their lives than the National dictum of "Happiness". The then 48 year old King had claimed that what he wanted for his nation was "happiness". And from the expression on most of the faces, he succeeded. This tiny Kingdom in the Himalayas is heaven. A must see for any traveler. The draw back is that they only allow 5,000 people a year in to visit. When we were there there were no traffic lights. No plastic. And virtually no crime. But I had remarkably fast internet connections as the phone lines were only put in ten years before. I'd go back in a second.

Picture of the Week #34 "Parade Rest"

Picture of the Week #34 "Parade Rest" Bangkok, Thailand 1989 Signed and Stamped

On my trip around the world I fell in love with Thailand. I photographed all the usual tourist sights of the temples and the floating markets, the people and of course the Monks. This is one of my favorites. The seated Buddhas are like soldiers watching their commanding officer walk by as they sit there at "Parade Rest".

Adios Amigo

Photographer Julius Schulman died today at 98. A great life, a great legacy. I took this at Xmas.

Picture of the Week #33 "Curled Up in Cadeques"

Picture of the Week #33 "Curled Up in Cadeques" Cadeques, Spain 1987 Signed and Stamped

I stayed in this picturesque port town in Northern Spain waiting to meet Salvador Dali at his home in nearby Port Lligat.

He was fairly ill at the time. We had met years earlier in New York when we attended the film "Toys in the Attic" with

Mia Farrow who was also his friend. We had on another occasion had lunch together in some top scale

restaurant on the east side of Manhattan. I distinctly remember him ordering a half of a grapefruit and

pouring sugar all over the top until the cherry adorning it could no longer be seen. Madame Gala his immortalized wife

grabbed his hand and guided it back down to the table. I also remember when we were at the film he kept banging his

walking stick on the floor. It was so arbitrary as the banging did not coincide with anything that was going on on the screen.

Sadly, I didn't see the great Surrealist Master again as he died two years later. I don't know if Port Lligat is where those great

Spanish soft shoes called Espadrilles come from, but notice all of the show boxes and the pair hanging above the boy sitting

in the door. It sure looks that way.

Picture of the Week #32 "Night Stroll by the Kremlin"

Picture of the Week #32 "Night Stroll by the Kremlin" Moscow, Russia 1986 Signed and Stamped. I was invited to attend the first Soviet-American Film Interchange in 40 years. The group from America were led by Richard Gere and Darryl Hannah. Matt Dillon, Carrie Fisher, and a host of others from behind the camera were there to show our films and to discuss our work with Soviet film makers. We traveled on to St. Petersberg (Leningrad) as well. Check out Picture of the Week #17 "Alone in Leningrad" earlier in this blog.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to one and all. These pictures were taken in Sun Valley Idaho in 1977. They are signed and Stamped. The images are Very Americana. And notice Smokey the Bear driving.